Birds that rely on grassland habitat for
their survival in Vermont include Henslow's
Sparrow and Sedge Wren, both endangered species;
Upland Sandpiper and Grasshopper Sparrow, both
state-threatened species; Vesper Sparrow, an
uncommon breeder in Vermont; and Savannah Sparrow,
Bobolink, and Eastern Meadowlark, considered common
but with declining populations. Other bird, mammal,
and invertebrate species use grasslands as well, but
the above suite is commonly used for conservation
planning purposes because these birds are rare,
their populations are declining, and they require
grassland habitat to survive and reproduce. These
species vary in their habitat requirements, but in
general, they require open lands dominated by
grasses, sedges, and broadleaf herbs with little or
no woody vegetation.

Today, most of
Vermont
's grassland habitats occur in the
Champlain
Valley
and, to a lesser extent, in the
Connecticut River
Valley
and the area around
Lake
Memphremagog
. There are other grasslands of various types and
sizes scattered across the rest of the state. Most
grassland are associated with current or past
agricultural practices. There are, however,
grasslands that are the result of other human
activities and are maintained for specific purposes.
These include grasslands associated with airports
(commercial and private), landfills, fairgrounds,
and industrial complexes. Most of
Vermont
's grasslands are in private ownership, although
the state and federal government own small areas of
this habitat.

Since a probable historic high during the
agricultural boom of the 1800s, populations of
grassland birds have declined substantially in
Vermont
, primarily as a result of habitat loss. Habitat
loss has resulted from forest succession after farm
abandonment, changes in current agriculture
practices, and residential, commercial, and
industrial development. Other potential threats
include the extensive use of agricultural pesticides
and changes in wintering habitats outside of
Vermont
.

Conversion of natural grasslands elsewhere in
the Northeast and the Midwest led to the decline of
grassland birds in their historic natural habitats
and has prompted
Vermont
, and the Northeast in general, to take on a greater
role in the conservation of grassland birds. The
North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI)
has designated grassland birds as a priority species
in
Vermont

Actively managed landscapes play a critical
role in the persistence of these species in light of
the loss of natural grasslands. Maintaining managed
grasslands, where possible and appropriate, in a
manner compatible with grassland bird nesting is
currently considered the most effective strategy for
grassland bird conservation in the Northeast.

A town or planning group might adopt goals
like these for conservation of grassland bird
habitat.

1.Where appropriate, encourage management of
existing grasslands larger than five acres,
including artificial habitats, in a manner
compatible with successful grassland bird nesting.

2.Identify and maintain or increase populations
of rare grassland birds in the town.

Vermont
Mapping Program:
The Vermont Department of Taxes administers
this program and supplies each town (by law) with
two sets of 1:5000 scale orthophoto printouts for
its geographic area. They also sell digital format
orthophotos (on CD-ROM) and will do custom printouts
of orthophotos (and some spatial data layers) at
other scales for a fee.

Audubon
Vermont:This
organization coordinates surveys for grassland
birds, provides outreach to landowners, and works
with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and
others in habitat management and recovery planning.

Grassland
Bird Habitat Statewide

Grassland
Bird habitat in Jericho

Potential
Grassland bird habitat based on Land
Cover-Land Use data layer

Map shows open
lands, natural and artificial, that may be
suitable grassland bird habitat.

Interpreting Information

Information on the distribution and character
of grassland habitat in
Vermont
is limited. Therefore, it will be necessary to focus
on identifying this habitat through field
inventories or aerial photography. The value of
grassland habitat for grassland birds in
Vermont
will vary from region to region in the state.
Grassland birds are most likely to occur in those
parts of the state that have fairly flat topography,
which typically is where most agriculture is
located. The
Champlain Valley
,
Connecticut
River Valley, and parts of
Orleans
County
tend to provide the best opportunities for managing
this type of habitat for grassland birds. The size
(number of acres) of the habitat is important, as
described earlier. Focus on identifying those areas
of grassland habitat greater than five acres.

The following management guidelines are
designed to maximize reproductive success of
grassland-nesting birds in an agricultural
setting. We recognize that an active farm
may be able to only partially implement
these guidelines. However, the extent to
which they are implemented will determine
the benefit to the breeding bird population.

Delay mowing until July
15 each year to minimize loss of eggs
and young. Later mowing may allow for
the successful fledging of young from
late nesters or re-nesting.

Raise mower blades to
six inches or more to avoid crushing any
remaining nests or young.

Avoid nighttime mowing
to reduce the risk of injuring roosting
birds.

When not used for
high-quality hay, mow fields every 1-3
years. Conversion to cropland will
destroy the nesting habitat of grassland
birds.

Light to moderate
grazing is compatible with most
grassland bird species' needs.
Consider restricting livestock from
fields during nesting season and
rotating pastures to provide a varied
vegetation structure.

Once the information on grassland bird
habitat has been gathered, specific conservation
strategies can be developed that will help
achieve the goals. Some examples of strategies
related to each goal follow. Note: As
with planning for the conservation of all natural
heritage elements, implementing strategies for
conserving grassland bird habitat should be done
with consideration of other elements. It is not
recommended that new artificial grasslands be
created solely for the purpose of supporting
grassland birds, nor is it recommended that
strategies be implemented in areas with sensitive
species or natural communities with conflicting
needs. It is recommended that you contact the
Vermont
Fish and Wildlife Department and Audubon
Vermont
to discuss the importance
of your town or area of interest to statewide
grassland bird conservation efforts.

1. Goal:
Where
appropriate, encourage management of existing
grasslands larger than five acres, including
artificial habitats, in a manner compatible with
successful grassland bird nesting.

Strategies:

a.
Establish compatible management practices on town-owned grasslands,
such as the lawns of the town hall, school,
recreation fields, and fairgrounds. Establish a
demonstration site where appropriate management
practices are employed and the virtues explained to
the public by way of kiosks, signs, or other
interpretive materials.

b.
Provide incentives to private landowners for the compatible
management of grasslands. USDA's Natural Resource
Conservation Service administers the Wildlife
Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) that provides
funds and technical assistance to private landowners
for improving wildlife habitat. Similarly, the USFWS
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provides
financial and technical assistance to private
landowners through voluntary cooperative agreements.
Former agricultural land is increasingly being kept
open for the preservation of view; this situation
provides a great opportunity to manage habitat for
grassland birds without any of the financial or
technical constraints sometimes associated with
agricultural operations.

c.
In site plan review, require large expanses of grasslands proposed
for industrial or commercial developments to follow
sound grassland bird management guidelines.